If anything is done, it has to be a multifaceted approach. Just blaming these incidents on mental illness is about as useful as saying "Guns don't kill, people kill". I'd like to see more done along the lines of what's taken place over the last 25 years with cigarette smoking and drunk driving. Personally I'd like to ban certain weapons and ammo altogether, but aside from that, how about a campaign to make certain behaviors more socially unacceptable - like using certain extremely destructive ammunition, keeping guns unsecured and easily accessible to other family members, ban advertising for certain types of weapons and ammunition, stuff like that. Folks would absolutely howl, but if it could be done for smoking, why not?

And I know this is going to sound like the old fogey that I am, but does anyone else think there might be some connection to violent video games and movies? What typically is the target audience for those? What is the typical demographic of these mass murderers? Again, we need to do more to make these things negative influences more socially unacceptable so young people will be less exposed to that level of violence.

If anything is done, it has to be a multifaceted approach. Just blaming these incidents on mental illness is about as useful as saying "Guns don't kill, people kill". I'd like to see more done along the lines of what's taken place over the last 25 years with cigarette smoking and drunk driving. Personally I'd like to ban certain weapons and ammo altogether, but aside from that, how about a campaign to make certain behaviors more socially unacceptable - like using certain extremely destructive ammunition, keeping guns unsecured and easily accessible to other family members, ban advertising for certain types of weapons and ammunition, stuff like that. Folks would absolutely howl, but if it could be done for smoking, why not?

I don't think that's much of an issue outside the NRA types.

Originally Posted by moevillini

And I know this is going to sound like the old fogey that I am, but does anyone else think there might be some connection to violent video games and movies? What typically is the target audience for those? What is the typical demographic of these mass murderers? Again, we need to do more to make these things negative influences more socially unacceptable so young people will be less exposed to that level of violence.

I don't buy the video game line one bit. No offense of course, but it's the same old narative that was pushed after printing presses led to kids getting sucked into story books. I don't envision people being so terrible to be influenced by a little fantasy. Video games or a kid using an imagination on a paper route, it's all the same. We had comics then, video games now. There isn't a difference to why they're attractive. It's all mental fantasy and stimulation.

The issue with these mass murders is entirely psychological. These folks are pushed to some edge by society, whether real or perceived. If I were to take a compasionate route then I'd look to culture not only alienating these people but going far enough to make them feel like detached deamons.